Improvement in lubricators for steam-engines



CHARLES LYNCH-.

Improvement in Lbrcato'r fori Steam Enginee.

Patented Nov. 21,1871.

, AM. Pr/oro-L/rHaMAPN/t er:4 /v, y foss-mule PRMEM/ CHARLES LYNCH, OFDETROIT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF,'DANIEL A. MATHEWS, OF YPSILANTI, AND HENRYMCGRAW, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

i IMPROVEMENT IN LUBRICATORS FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent N o. 121,055, datedNovember 21, 1871.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns LYNcH, of Detroit, in the county of Wayneand State of Michigan, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in aLubricator for Steam-Engines; and I do declare that the following is atrue and accurate description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon andbeing a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the lubricator, with a portion of the reservoir broken away andits top removed to show the internal arrangement of the parts. Fig. 2 isa vertical section on the line w w in Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional detail of the check-valve at the upper end of the oil-pipe.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

The nature of this invention relates to a device more especiallydesigned to deliver a regulated and continuous supply of oil to thevalves and pistonsof steam-engines, the feeding of the oil beingeffected by its displacement by water under pressure, the waterresulting from the condensation of steam in a condensing-chambercontained within the oil-cup; and it consists in the novel and peculiarconstruction and arrangement of its various parts, operating as morefully hereinafter described.

ard which is screwed into the cover of the steamchest of an engine. B isan oil-cup or reservoir` mounted on said standard. G is a cylindricalcondensing chamber, closed at the top, and through whose bottom headprojects a continuation, A, of the hollow standard, terminating in anopen tube near the top of the chamber G 5 in order to carry thecondenser away from the center of the reservoir and thus make room forthe cylindrical gauge-guard F, the pipeA is made angular at the bottom,as shown. The condensing-chamber has a lateral enlargement, C', at thebottom, provided with an outlet, a, which may be opened or closed byavalve, Gr, threaded in an opening tapped from the top of theenlargement to intersect the outlet a. The stem of this valve projectsup through a stuiiing-box (not shown) in the cover B of the reservoir,and is rotated by a hand-wheel at the upper end. H is the oil-feedingpipe issuing from near the top of the reservoir and entering the hollowstandard below it, although it may discharge into the steam-pipe ifdesired. At the upper end of the pipe H a check-valve, b, is placed toopen outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. The inner end of the stem of thecheck-valve isangular in section where it plays in the end of the pipe,while the outer stem plays in a bridge-piece, c, cut away at thesides,'as shown in the detail, Fig. 3. F is a cylindrical gauge-guard,cast at and with one side of the reservoir, through which is cut avertical slot, d, graduated at one side. Within the guard is inserted aglass-tube, I, resting on a packing-ring, e, on a shoulder in the lowerpart of the guard; a similar packing-ring is placed on the top of thetube I. The filling-cup J has its stem threaded into the upper part ofthe guard and compresses the packing at each end of the glass-tube. Alateral passage, f, eX- tends from the oil-passage of the filling-cupthrough coincident openings in the guard to the interior of thereservoir. Another opening, g, communicates with the reservoir at thebottom of the guard. K is a drain-cock communicating with the lower partof the guard and its tube. The valve Gr closing the outlet c, thepressure of the steam will close the check-valve and prevent thecontents of the reservoir from being forced down the standard; thereservoir should now be emptied through the drain-cock, which shouldthen be closed; the reservoir may now be iilled through the filling-cupJ with oil or melted tallow. The steam entering the condenser throughthe hollow standard and its continuation condenses and iills the chamberwith water; now, if the outlet a be opened by the valve G, a stream ofwater will low out with a force due to the head in the condenser, andentering the reservoir displace an equal volume of oil which opens thecheck-valve and ilows down the feed-pipe into the hollow standard andthence into the steam-chest. The gauge-tube shows the relativequantities of oil and water contained in the reservoir, for whichpurpose it communicates with the reservoir at top and bottom; and by thegraduated scale at one side of the slot d, the rate of consumption ofoil is indicated, and can be governed by increasing or diminishing theout-iiow of water from the condenser by the valve G.

By having the condenser within the reservoir the condensation of thesteam is more rapid and certain at the start, when most needed, than ifand Within the reservoir B, as shown and set it were outside thereservoir; While by having it and the gauge inclosed the device isrendered less clumsy and less liable to damage.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The arrangement ofthe guard F, gaugetube I, and packing-rings e,Within the reservoir B, as described.

2. The arrangement of the condenser C and pipe A' with relation to thehollow standard A forth.

3. The automatic lubricating device, consist-

